How to Effectively Use Assessment in Online And Blended Learning to Help Your Students Succeed Stephen Murgatroyd, PhD FBPsS FRSA Chief Innovation Officer Contact North | Contact Nord www.contactnord.ca
Who A Am I I • Teaching at the university level since 1973 • Psychologist by training but have taught in both statistics programs and in business schools • Now act as Chief Innovation Officer for Contact North | Contact Nord • Teaching online at the University of Toronto (OISE), University of Alberta and Athabasca University (MBA) • Created the world’s first fully online MBA in 1993-4 and have been building and working with technology enabled learning experiences ever since • Worked for 15 years at the Open University (UK) and for 14 years at Athabasca University
Co Cont ntext • Assessment practices are changing – More continuous assessment – More peer assessment – More group projects and work- based assessment – More varied forms of assessment – video, oral presentations, etc. – Less reliance on multiple choice, mid-terms and end of term exams – More use of assessment fo for learning • Let’s make sense of these developments
What W We In Intend… Understanding what authentic • and accessible assessment looks like and how it can be done. How to leverage technology to • automate some of the burden of continuous assessment. How to create continuous • assessment and feedback in an online and blended course. How to ensure integrity of • assessment. How to manage student • expectations.
Context a and t the Na Nature o of A Assessment What i is C Changing?
Assessment a and O Our Understanding o of L Learning In Instructionism Const Co struc uctivism sm (Rankin, 2 2020) • Instructor provides information • Activate prior knowledge and and knowledge understanding • Reinforced with texts and • Create surprise, challenge or activities problems that matter • Students are tested on whether • Apply new knowledge, capabilities, they can correctly recall and skills and understanding apply the knowledge and • Offer solutions and reflections to the information surprise, challenge or problem • High stakes testing and the • Assess value created and added “banking” of knowledge.
A S Shift t to M More A Authentic As Assessment Grant Wiggins (1998) suggested that authentic assessment involves students providing responses to a challenge, a question, a problem that: 1. Is realistic. 2. Requires judgement and innovation. 3. Asks the student to “do” the subject. 4. Replicates or simulates the contexts in which adults are “tested” in the workplace, in civic life, and in personal life. 5. Assesses the student’s ability to efficiently and effectively use a repertoire of knowledge and skill to negotiate a complex task. 6. Allows appropriate opportunities to rehearse, practice, consult resources, and get feedback on and refine performances and products.
Knowledge Sh Shift • Knowledge changing very quickly – 2 million peer review papers a year • Skills are changing quickly – average shelf-life of skills is getting shorter (2-3 years in IT). • Our social conditions are changing and will change quickly post C-19 • Context in which we are teaching, and learning is changing
Expectation Sh Shift • New skills expected in the workplace – soft skills, IT skills, teamwork. • Skills based on content knowledge now less valued than the ability to be a life- long learner – content is everywhere. • Rich assessments more valued by employers than a “grade” – eportfolios.
Technology Sh Shifts.. • AI enabled item and assessment generation using Quillionz, TAO, QG-Net or others. • Peer review systems like Kritik or Peergrade • Automated marking with tools like Möbius (for maths), TAO, Sapphire and others.
Some P Principles f for As Assessme ment nt
Pri Princ ncipl ples… s… 1. Authentic 2. Accessible 3. Appropriately Automated 4. Continuous 5. Secure
1. A Authentic A Assessment • When students work on a challenge, problem or issue – whether on their own or in a team – we can engage in an authentic assessment of their capabilities. • When students engage in a systematic exploration of an issue in science, art, mathematics, land use – we can engage in an authentic assessment.
2. A Accessible A Assessment • Not all students have the same access to technology and resources • Students with disabilities and special needs need to be able to access assessments in ways that do not discriminate – universal design applies to assessment. • Assessment needs to be design with the learner in mind, not just the “content”
3. A Appropriately A Automated • Growing resources for automated test and item generation. • Increasing use of adaptive assessment built into LMS systems • Growing use of plagiarism checkers like Turnitin, iThenticate, Plagiarisma and others. • Rapid deployment of marking software like TAO, Bakpax • Such systems are enabling “assessment on demand”
4. C Continuous A Assessment • A shift from high stakes mid-term / end of term assessments to continuous assessment. • Competency based assessment using video or text – Valid-8 • Continuous assessment through learning outcomes assessments.
5. Se Secure A Assessment • Ensuring that assessment are secure and safe • Proctored exam systems – ProctorU, Examus, AIProctor • Biometrics for assessment - TeSLA • Data forensic enabling us to compare how a document or resource was created with past activity from that same student – Ecree, Elute Intelligence
Innovative A Assessment
Partnering w with U UNE NESCO: Things f from t the F Future HO HOW EXAMPLES EX ES • Using one or more strategic • The Public Library in 2030 and foresight tools (causal layer 2050 analysis, scenarios, hype • Early Childhood Education in curves, thing from the 2030 future), students look at a • Outdoor Education in China in very specific challenge and 2030 describe 2030 and 2050 • Play After the Pandemic in 2021 • Storyboards, multimedia and Beyond presentations, text and Indigenous Learning Frames for • powerful future images Online Learning in 2030
Group P Project: W What D Do T These I Industries N Need t to Do T To I Improve t their C Competitive P Position a and Productivity? y? HO HOW WH WHAT • Groups work in virtual teams • Higher Education in Canada • Groups develop a team charter • Conventional and Unconventional Oil and work collaboratively online and Gas • On completion of their • Bio-industrial Products and Services multimedia presentation, • Green Energy groups assess contribution of • Health Care in Canada each person to the work • Papers are assessed by leaders in the industry and the instructor
Continuous A Assessment HO HOW WHAT WH • Virtual co-op environment • Assessment of communication using AI enabled avatars as and teamwork against a rubric managers / leaders • Assessment of problem solving • Students have individual • Assessment of specific skills – assignments and group e.g. data interpretation, use of assignments and interact forecasting tools, scenario with each other and avatars planning. • Students are challenged in • Self-assessment and peer- real time to solve business assessment problems
An A Assessment S Scheme f for a a Recent G Graduate C Course • Creating of a knowledge resource centre – your contribution 25% • Professional engagement in the activities of the class – contributions online, sharing of professional exemplars – 25% • Presentation of a storyboard – 15% • Final paper / video/ multimedia – 35%
Final P Paper – The Pr Promise o of t the Pr Present M Moment Your f foresight c challenge t that i intersects w with U UNESCO Education 2 2050 – Learning t to B Become Final P Paper A Assessment G Guide Key c criteria The scope and impact of the foresight • Scope and impact of the issue (consider challenge in your context (e.g. why do you IT/ME/THEM) /30 care?; what is the ‘IT’ of your anticipated future; who is this for?;) • Relationship to UNESCO 2050 /10 The relationship to the global forces and • Application of foresight tools and contexts set out in UNESCO’s Futures of Education 2050 – Learning to Be (e.g. futures research /20 planetary sustainability, participatory democracy, human dignity, work and • Implications: tentative/speculative /30 economic security) • Quality of Writing /10 The foresight tools and futures thinking literature you will draw upon (e.g. Causal Layered Analysis, scenarios, ‘the Thing from /100 the Future’) Some tentative and speculative conclusions.
Implications & & I Issues
So Some Is Issues… • Balancing assessment fo for learning with assessment of of learning. • Instructor workload and capabilities – intense work, but feedback = teaching • Focused rubrics for participation and contribution (esp. in group work) – making expectations explicit • Assessment “gamesmanship” and gaming the system – knowing the student • Cheating and plagiarism – building a culture of trust
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